Unlike most European test drives, which are usually over in a few hours, the GTI's test drive lasted two full glorious days. We picked up the new cars in Wolfsburg and headed out toward Paris and the motor show by way of Kln. Both days' drives involved a mix of autobahn/autoroute blasting and curvy country backroads. All the cars had six-speed manuals and the optional nav system.
We hit the autobahn first, sampling the 2.0 FSI's pulling power. Even with the added weight of a photographer in the back seat (where he said he had ample room at 6 ft plus), the GTI moved down the motorway at speeds that surprised many a BMW driver. And, thanks to said photographer's GPS unit, we were able to "prove" a top speed of just over 150 mph-the strong crosswinds prevented us from pushing it much further. Said crosswinds also gave us a chance to test the servo steering's correction function. That it works is an understatement. It felt very odd to have the car correct itself before I could even think about adjusting the steering. It actually became a game to see if I could beat the system; I lost every time.
Once off the autobahn and onto the country byways, the turbocharged 2.0's powerband proved its low-end worth. Third seemed the perfect gear for meeting the multiple twists and turns as we drove through one German village after another. The GTI's stiffened suspension setup is near perfect: not too harsh nor too soft. It wasn't until the second day (minus the extra weight, sorry Richard), that we were able to fully put the GTI's handling capabilities to the test. Past Kln, before traversing across Luxemburg, we found a set of super twisty, relatively car-free roads that just begged for spirited driving. The GTI was a blast to drive, staying balanced and gripping the road with sticky-footedness that would have made a treefrog jealous.
It began to rain a bit later, but that didn't slow us down much-hey, we are automotive journalists and we had ESP. The re-tuned system really is just-in-time. One driver (a certain VW executive) discovered that ESP doesn't intrude until you're really desperate-as in "uh-oh, a tree!" When it does kick in, it works flawlessly, saving both tree and driver.
We covered more than 700 miles and spent at least 12 hours driving and never once wished we were in a different vehicle. The sport seats offered ample support, the nav system was easy to use (although it took a few tries to figure out how to turn up the nav audio as the manual was in German) and the stereo system was superb.
When my co-driver and I finally rolled into Paris, we were reluctant to give up the car, knowing we wouldn't see one again until next fall when the GTI is slated to reach U.S. shores (sold as a 2006 model, estimated MSRP: $23k). Maybe we could blow off the Paris show and drive around France for another day or two-or not. Everyone I talked to at the show the following day asked what I thought about the new GTI. I answered with two words: "It is."
"It is what?"
"A GTI."
Now that I think about it, maybe you can predict a cult classic.